


Soulmates

by BettyJones



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-05-15 06:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14784935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyJones/pseuds/BettyJones
Summary: Betty and Jughead are told they are soulmates and have to spend the rest of their lives together. There's only one small problem; Betty wants to be with Archie. Will Betty get over him and start to love Jughead, or will Jughead be resigned to a life of unrequited love?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this new story! Sorry I'm so bad at summaries, I promise the story's not that bad. Happy reading! x

Jughead Jones stood on the too-bright stage in front of a room full of people he had known his entire life. Next to him stood the Junior class of Riverdale High, also people he’d known all his life, whether he liked them or not. The mayor, Fred Andrews stood behind a podium at the front of the stage. Jughead nervously smoothed out his suit jacket, suddenly feeling that the lights were much too hot and his tie was choking him. His breathing was shallow as Mayor Andrews began to speak.

“Hello, people of Riverdale,” He began. “As you know, we are gathered here today to welcome the students of Riverdale High into the next chapter of their lives. I know everyone here is very anxious to get started so I’ll keep this short. I would just like to say good luck to all of you kids,” He said, turning and smiling at the four rows of teens behind him. “And I hope you all live long, happy lives together. Now let the soulmate ceremony begin!” The crowd cheered. Jughead tried not to roll his eyes. He thought Fred’s speech was cheesy and sounded too much like a wedding toast. He glanced over at Betty. She looked just as nervous as he did, but much more excited. She was sure she was going to be matched with Archie Andrews, the perfect boy next door. She had decided he was her soulmate when they were six years old. She hadn’t told Archie this, of course, only Jughead. Now it was ten years later and she would finally be with him. Which meant Jughead wasn’t going to be with the person he wanted. So, he stood as still as possible on the stage, trying to not to let any of his dread and premature sorrow show. He heard Fred begin speaking again.

“Our first pair is Josie McCoy,” She stepped forward meekly, her short purple dress swishing slightly. “And Reggie Mantle.” Reggie grinned and Josie smiled back at him. He walked over to her and planted a quick kiss on her lips. Everyone clapped as Fred said,”May you live happily ever after.” They walked off the stage and down the aisle, disappearing out the door to the banquet hall. Jughead tried not roll his eyes again as Fred repeated the same phrase after every couple was called. He mostly tuned out, but after the fifth couple was called he was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Archie’s father calling his name.

“Jughead Jones,” He announced. Jughead stepped forward, his heart hammering. He could hardly hear anything else. The few seconds before Fred spoke seemed to last an eternity. “And Betty Cooper.” He tried not to let his mouth fall open as he looked back at her, heart soaring. The grin the had begun spreading on his face disappeared when he saw her face fall for a split second before she plastered on a fake smile. That’s when he remembered. She didn’t want him. He felt a pang of hurt as he realized she was being forced to be with him. She would be forced with him for the rest of their lives, and she didn’t want him. He tried to mirror her fake smile as she walked over to him. The moment should’ve been happy, but it was full of tension and disappointment.He felt another pang. Betty stepped in front of him with a smile that could’ve fooled anyone else. They stood there for a moment, looking at each other. They were supposed to kiss, on the lips or on the cheek. Jughead knew Betty didn’t want to kiss him. He took her hand and brought it up to his lips to appease the crowd.

“May you live happily ever after.” Said Mayor Andrews. Jughead kept ahold of her hand as the walked off the stage and down the blue carpeted isle. The crowd clapped politely. Jughead could tell they were just as surprised by him and Betty as the two of them were.

“I’m sorry, Betts.” He muttered. She looked up at him sadly and stayed silent. Her golden curls bounced and her silky pink dress swayed as she walked. He couldn't help but think about how beautiful she was.

When they entered the grand dining hall it was almost empty. Large chandeliers hung from the high ceilings and the floor was covered with what appearedto be hundreds of round tables. They were covered with white tablecloths and several bouquets of white and pink flowers per table. It took them a solid minute to locate the table marked Cooper-Jones. Jughead had to admit he liked the sound of that. Betty Cooper-Jones. Jughead Jones-Cooper. He pulled out her chair for her and sat down beside her. They waited in awkward silence for a few minutes until their families finally arrived. FP greeted Jughead with a hard pat on the back and he jumped.

“Hey guys. Hows the happy couple?” He asked teasingly. Betty laughed politely.

“Great!” She lied, putting her fake smile back on. FP sat down next to Jughead with Gladys and Jellybean to the left of him. Next to Betty sat Alice, Polly, and Hal. It was a painfully awkward dinner. FP’s constant teasing made Betty and Jughead uncomfortable, as well as Alice and Hal’s obvious disapproval of Jughead. Betty’s newlywed sister Polly didn’t seem to notice, though. She was grinning at Betty the whole time. She had just been happily married to Jason Blossom and was sure her sister would find the same happiness. Jughead’s family seemed very happy for them as well. Gladys had always loved Betty and thought the beautiful, gentle girl would be perfect for her son. Jellybean was also overjoyed. She knew how Jughead felt about Betty and was the couple’s number one supporter. She had taken to privately calling them Bughead and had immediately joined in on FP’s good hearted ridicule, both much to Jughead’s dismay.

Betty and Jughead had a seat that faced the door, so they could see every new couple that entered. They watched as people they had known forever pour in, arm and arm. The first couple that came in was Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz. Cheryl’s red stained lips were pulled tight into a grin and her hand was in Toni’s. Betty knew that they had secretly been in a relationship from Polly and she couldn’t imagine how relieved they must be. They both looked so happy. Cheryl was wearing a strapless red dress that went down to her ankles and Toni was wearing a satiny green knee length dress with sheer sleeves. Jughead thought vaguely that they looked like Christmas. More than that though, they looked like they belonged together. Jughead looked down at his grey tie and black suit. He looked over at Betty’s bright pink dress. Nighttime and bubblegum. They didn’t go together. They didn’t belong together. Betty didn’t even want him. He couldn’t stop thinking how this night should’ve been happy, which only made him sadder.

Betty and Jughead both kept up their happy act almost perfectly all night. Betty's mask slid off for a moment though when Archie walked in with Veronica Lodge on his arm. Betty didn’t hate Veronica, not yet at least. She didn’t know her well, just knew she was rich and beautiful and was now eternally Archie’s. Veronica Lodge was with Archie, not her. Betty was with Jughead now and would never have Archie. Veronica had Archie. That all hit her the moment Veronica strode in in her beautiful, flowy navy blue dress, holding Archie’s hand. And they looked happy. Betty felt sick.

“Excuse me.” She said, getting up from the table quickly and rushing out of the room. She wasn’t sure where she was going. Maybe the bathroom? She just knew she was leaving. She ended up in a corridor somewhere, leaning against the wall and breathing heavily. After a few moments she heard footsteps.

“Betty? Betts are you ok?” Jughead asked, turning the corner. She tried to stand up straight and nod, but ultimately failed. “What’s wrong?” He asked, cautiously stepping closer. Her face crumpled and she sobbed. He took another step closer and wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry Jughead. I’m sorry.” She sobbed. He hugged her tighter and stroked her hair.

“It’s ok Betts, It’s ok. You have nothing to be sorry for.” He murmured. She cried into him for a while before pulling away and wiping her eyes.

“Yes, yes I do.” She hiccuped. “Jug, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I like Archie. I’m sorry that I’m hung up on him when I’m supposed to be with you.”Jughead didn’t know what to say. What she had said hurt. He already knew all of those things, but hearing her say it out loud hurt. She hadn’t even meant for it to hurt, but it ended up as another dagger to his heart in a night full of them.

“It’s ok Betty.” He whispered, even though it wasn’t. But it would be. Either she would get over Archie or Jughead would have to resign to a marriage full fo unrequited love. It felt like something was crushing him at just the thought of the second option, but he would have to get over it. This was his life now. “You ready to go back?” He asked after a few long moments of silence. She nodded and slipped her hand into his, wiping off the last of her tears and smudged mascara.

“How do I look?” She asked. A million adjectives flew through his mind. Perfect, beautiful, amazing.

“Good.” He said. He wasn’t sure why he still felt the need to lie about how he felt about her. They were together now. But Betty didn’t want them to be together. It still wasn’t really a relationship because she didn’t feel the same way, he remembered. So he was still going to pretend. He sighed softly and reached out to link his elbow into hers. She smiled weakly and they walked back into the dining hall together. Jughead was amazed by how perfectly fine she looked. Less than a minute ago she had been sobbing into him and know she looked as if nothing had happened.

“What happened?” Asked Alice as soon as they sat back down. Jughead looked to Betty, unsure of what to say. She smiled.

“It was nothing.” She replied. That seemed to be good enough for Alice, as she dropped the subject with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. They weren’t so lucky with FP.

“Ah these two probably just went to go make out in the hallway. Can’t keep their hands off each other.” He winked. Jughead rolled his eyes and Gladys elbowed FP, quietly scolding him and telling him to leave the damn kids alone. FP just grinned. He was inarguably the one having the most fun at their table.

The dinner didn’t go on much longer, they got their dessert shortly and were able to leave not long after that. The rest of the night was still uncomfortable, FP seemed to have endless jokes, and he only got more ruthless after they left the Coopers. Betty’s family was awkwardly silently after they left the dining hall, save for Polly’s joyful babbling, seemingly oblivious toher family’s discomfort and disapproval of Jughead.

“Oh Betty, I’m so happy for you. You and Jughead are gonna be so great. I just can’t wait to see you two together again.” She sighed happily. She went on like this until Betty finally got home and locked herself in her room. She had just changed into pajamas and carefully hung up her dress when her phone dinged. She fell back onto the bed and picked it up. It was from Archie.

Archie: Hey Betts. How was your night?

Betty sighed. It had been terrible.

Betty: Great! You?

Archie: It was amazing. Veronica is great. How was it being with Jughead?

Betty’s stomach churned again. Her observation had been right. Archie and Veronica were happy. It made her want to throw up, which made her feel kind of guilty. Her best friend’s happiness shouldn’t make her so upset. She wasn’t sure what the answer to the second question was. The night had been miserable, but Jughead had been kind to her. Truthfully, she hadn’t thought about him that much. The thought that had mostly consumed her mind was that she would never be with Archie. It was a hard pill for her to swallow. She thought for another moment before responding.

Betty: It was nice.

That was an honest answer. The best part of her night had probably been when Jughead had comforted her. Well, aside from the beginning when she was happy in blindly believing Archie would be her soulmate.

They exchanged texts for a while about the food and the other couples they had seen before saying goodnight. Betty laid back on her light pink pillow, both exhausted and not tired at all at the same time. She lay there for who knows how long, tossing and turning and thinking. She barely slept at all, finally falling into a fitful sleep at three AM.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for this update. I hope you enjoy it!

Jughead woke up the next morning at ten AM. He was somehow still exhausted, but had to force himself out of bed. The next day soulmates were supposed to go on their first official date, and today Jughead was supposed to plan his. He wasn’t sure how he had ended up with this responsibility, Betty was the one who liked to plan, but there he was, at his kitchen table with a notebook and pencil to jot down ideas for their first date. He felt a tremendous amount of pressure for it to be perfect. He needed to prove himself to her. He cared what she thought of him more than anyone else and he had no control over it. He didn’t like it. He was trying desperately to think of a place that would be nice but not too romantic. The last thing he wanted to do was force himself on her. He dropped his head to the cold wood of the table and let out a groan of frustration.

As Jughead sat in his trailer wracking his brain for the perfect place to take her, Betty Cooper sat in her bedroom quietly reading. She had been desperately trying to distract herself all morning. She had woken up at seven thirty, which was pretty late for her. She had been reading for over an hour, but her mind kept wandering. She wanted nothing more than to pretend everything was the same as it had been for the last sixteen years of her life. So that’s what she had decided to do before she would have to face the reality of being eternally tied to her best friend Jughead Jones. Betty loved Jughead, but not in that way. They had known each other since preschool and had been inseparable since, but they didn’t think about each other in that way. Betty would be lying if she said she never thought about it, never found herself attracted to him. But she had always shook those thoughts out of her head and reminded herself it was supposed to be Archie.

Betty knew he wasn’t the worst person to spend the rest of her life with by a long shot. She knew he was hot, logically she did. With his dark unruly hair and lightly toned stomach. But she still didn’t want anything romantic with him. They could spend that rest of their lives as best friends, she decided. She was sure Jughead would agree to this. He didn’t want this any more than she did. With a plan finally in place, Betty was able to calm her mind for a little while and effectively distract herself with a book.

 

The next day approached quickly, sneaking up on both Betty and Jughead. Before he knew it, Jughead found himself at the Cooper’s open front door, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, waiting patiently for Betty to finish getting ready. She had woken up late, something very rare for her, and was rushing around the house, trying to find her sneakers. Jughead was standing there awkwardly, hands in his pockets, unsure of whether to come in or not. Alice Cooper had greeted him curtly and left the door without inviting him in, so he had decided it was safest to stay outside. Finally Betty arrived at the door, slipping on her second shoe and smiling at Jughead.

“I’m so sorry you had to wait. I woke up late this morning.” She apologized.

“No worries. Are you ready?” He asked, motioning towards his dad’s old truck. Betty nodded and slipped her hand in his. Jughead told himself it was just to keep up appearances, but his heart still fluttered all the same.

“Are you gonna tell me where we’re going?” Betty asked as she slid into the passengers seat of the car.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” He replied confidently. Truthfully, he was extremely nervous, but Betty didn’t have to know that.

Soon enough they had arrived at the bank of Sweetwater River. Jughead parked the car and Betty looked at him, confused.

“What are we doing here?” She asked. Jughead shrugged and looked down at his lap nervously.

“I just thought we could walk around. It’s kinda pretty here in the sun.” He answered. Betty smiled and nodded.

“Sounds great.” Jughead smiled back, feeling some of his nerves leave him. It was just Betty. He and Betty had been friends for years. He tried to convince himself it was no different than the hundreds of other times they had hung out together. He got out of his side of the car and went around to open the door for her. She took his hand and climbed out with a grateful smile.

They started off towards the river and began walking along the bank in a silence that was either awkward or comfortable depending on who you asked. Finally, they both decided they should say something at the same time.

“So-“

“Jug-“ They both started.

“Sorry.” They said in unison and then began to laugh. Jughead looked to Betty expectantly and she started talking first.

“Jug, I don’t know if the soulmate test was right.” She said. Jughead felt his heart fracture, the knife she had stabbed in it two nights before sinking deeper. He did his best to conceal this, nodding along to what Betty was saying.

“It’s just, I don’t think we’re a good fit, romantically. I was thinking that maybe it would be better if we just spent the rest of our lives as best friends. I mean, we can pretend that we’re a couple for the sake of appearances, but I think it would be best if we really were just friends. What do you think?” She asked. Jughead felt the rest of his heart crack in half. Every hope he had ever had had just been dashed in less than a minute. He had tried to convince himself that he would be ok if this happened, to prepare himself for when she said this, but the reality of it was more terrible than he thought. He wasn’t prepared at all.

“That sounds great. That’s actually exactly what I was about to say.” He replied over the lump in his throat, forcing a smiled that didn’t reach his eyes. Betty smiled, relieved, and reached for his hand. He wanted nothing more than to run away and wallow in his misery alone, but he took her hand anyways.

They walked down the riverbank for a while in comfortable silence. Well, Betty thought it was comfortable. Jughead didn’t even notice how quiet it was, he was too lost in the dark abyss of his mind. Betty was mostly undisturbed, adequately distracted from thoughts of Archie, strolling along and smiling at the pretty scene around them. She was like Snow White, prancing around the forest. A ray of sunshine and a storm cloud is what Betty and Jughead looked like. Nighttime and bubblegum, he thought.

 

They spent a while down by the river and then went to a late lunch at Pop’s, Jughead briefly forgetting the sadness that was drowning him with burgers and Betty’s laugh. She seemed to be enjoying the day he had had planned, as he’d hoped. Around six PM, Jughead pulled into the Twilight Drive In. He looked over to see Betty grinning.

“Juggy, this is perfect.” She beamed. He couldn’t help but smile back.

“I knew you’d like it. Rebel Without a Cause.” She looked up at the projection screen which was playing the opening credits as Jughead kept his eyes trained on her.

Jughead barely paid attention to the movie, still lost in thought. He couldn’t help but stare at her, her mouth parted slightly as she watched the movie with great concentration. He knew he couldn’t stop loving her. Even when she unintentionally stomped on his heart and assured him that his love for her was unrequited, he couldn’t help it. She was perfect in every way, and he wanted nothing more than to tell her that, but now he didn’t think he ever could. Jughead only realized the movie had ended when Betty turned away from the screen and caught him staring at her.

“What?” She asked, finally noticing him looking at her intensely. He wanted so badly to kiss her, but knew he couldn’t for many reasons.

“Oh, nothing. Should we head home?” He asked with a shake of his head. Betty nodded and he started the car, both relieved and sad that the day was over. 

 

Jughead walked Betty to her front door and she said goodnight to him with a kiss on the cheek that made his heart flutter. He tried to keep reminding himself that it was just for appearances.

Once Betty was in her room she set her phone on her night stand and began to change, only for it to buzz a few moments later. She pulled her T-shirt back down and picked it up. It was a group message from Archie to her, Jughead, and Veronica.

**Archie: Hey guys! I was wondering if you all wanted to have a movie night tomorrow at my place?**

Betty thought for a moment. It sounded nice at first, a movie night with her best friends, but it would mean she would have to see Archie and Veronica together. She also would have to pretend her and Jughead were a happy couple. As much as she didn’t want to, she couldn’t think of a good excuse not to go and she felt somewhat obligated to, so she decided to just suck it up.

**Betty: Sounds great!**

Jughead, who had just pulled into Sunnyside Trailer Park, groaned when he saw the messages. He didn’t want to spend a miserable night watching Betty watch Archie and Veronica wistfully. But, she had already decided for them, so he now had to go.

**Jughead: Sure!**

He added an exclamation point in the hopes it would trick everyone into thinking he actually wanted to go. A few moments later Veronica chimed in with her support as well. Jughead considered calling Betty and asking her why she had agreed to this, sure she wouldn’t want to see Archie with another girl, but decided to leave it be.

So it was settled. Archie, Veronica, Betty, and Jughead were going to have a double date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! x


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, Chapter 3! I hope you guys enjoy it!

The next day Jughead again found himself at Betty’s front door. He stood just outside the door, still afraid to come in, at five fifty five PM. They were supposed to be at Archie’s at six. He could tell by her fake smile the moment she met him at the door that she was dreading this night just as much as he was.

“Shall we?” He asked, extending a hand. She took it and nodded, taking a deep breath in preparation for whatever this night threw at her. She knew it was silly to be this nervous for a movie night with her friends, but she also knew it was more than that. She was going to have to watch the boy she had wanted since preschool be with another a girl, and a beautiful, smart, rich one at that. She took another deep breath.

“Are you alright?” Jughead asked once they got to Archie’s front porch.

“I will be.” She sighed. She realized how very untrue that statement was the second Archie opened the door wearing a T-shirt that hugged his toned arms, his hair lightly tousled. Betty willed herself not to take another deep breath and plastered on another fake smiled.

“Hey guys! Come on in!” He exclaimed. He opened the door wider and they stepped inside where Veronica was sitting on the couch wearing a short, tight skirt and tank top. She was even prettier up close. She got up off the couch and rushed to greet Betty.

“Hi!” She cried, throwing her arms around Betty. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!” She pulled away, grinning. Betty could tell it was genuine smile. Oh great, she’s nice too, she thought. “And you must be Jughead!” She said, turning to him and extending a hand for him to shake.

“The one and only.” He replied. Veronica smiled some more and motioned for them to sit on the couch. Jughead sat on the left side and Betty sat down a few inches away. Archie took a seat on the armchair and Betty felt her stomach twist when Veronica sat on his lap. Jughead looked to her, worried, and was surprised when she scooted closer to him. Just for appearances, he repeated to himself.

“So, what are we watching?” Jughead asked as Archie picked up the remote.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Veronica replied. Jughead stifled a groan but Betty got a little more excited. She loved Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Maybe the night wouldn’t be so unbearable after all.

Betty was proved wrong yet again as Archie and Veronica kissed and whispered and giggled all through the movie. Jughead and Betty kept exchanging knowing glances every few seconds. Finally, about halfway through the movie, Betty couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’m gonna go get more snacks.” She said, picking up the not even half empty bowl of potato chips and getting up from the couch. The only one who had been eating them was Jughead and he hadn’t even made much of a dent somehow.

“I’ll go with you.” Archie replied, gently pushing Veronica off his lap and standing up as well. Betty gave him a puzzled look but didn’t say anything as she headed for the kitchen.

“It seems like you and Veronica are getting along well.” Betty remarked as she grabbed the bag of chips off the counter and began pouring some into the bowl.

“Yeah, she’s really great. I take it it’s going well for you and Jughead too?” Betty gave him another puzzled look. “Well, the test obviously worked with you two. I mean, you’ve liked each other since we were in like preschool.” With that he picked up the chip bowl and walked back into the living room, leaving Betty standing frozen in shock in the middle of the kitchen. She knew Archie was clueless, but this was a new level. Liked each other since preschool? He must be out of his mind. Where was he even getting this from? She shook her head and walked back into the living room, returning to her place next to Jughead, his arm now on the back of the couch, leaving a big space for her to snuggle up into him. She sat down, still a bit rigid and in shock.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”Jughead whispered. Betty shook her head.

“Nothing.” She mumbled.

She was unable to focus on the movie for the rest of the night. Archie’s words just kept replaying over and over in her mind. You’ve liked each other since we were in preschool. What did he mean? It just made less and less sense the more she thought about. Where had Archie gotten such an idea? She was finally snapped out of her thoughts some time later when Jughead gently touched her arm, telling her the movie was over. She nodded, blinking a bit, as though she’d been in a trance. She looked over and saw Archie and Veronica making out in the armchair. All of Betty’s emotions hit her at once and she felt her eyes start to water. The fact that her tears were so stupid only made her want to cry more.

“Betts, we can leave right now if you want to.” He whispered. She nodded and shot up off the couch. She tried to discreetly wipe her eyes as they tip-toed out of the house. Jughead accidentally slammed the door and Archie and Veronica sprung apart, but it was too late. Betty and Jughead were already sprinting down the sidewalk.

“Hey, I’m sorry about that Betts.” He said softly as they approached her front door.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Jug. It’s stupid that it made me so upset anyway.” She muttered.

“No, no it’s not. Listen, Archie doesn’t mean to hurt you. He’s just very clueless is all.” Jughead assured her with a small smile. She laughed weakly and turned to the door. At the last second, she spun around and threw her arms around him. Jughead jumped a little in surprise but soon settled into her, wrapping his arms around her and gently playing with the ends of her golden strands. They held each other for a little longer than necessary before bidding each other goodnight.

Once inside, Betty ran up to her room and closed the door. She fell against it with a small sob and allowed herself a few tears before forcing herself to pull it together. She had to get over this, she knew that. But now on top of being heartbroken over Archie, she was also confused. She decided that the next day would be another long day of distracting herself.

 

Betty slept in until nine AM the next morning, very late for her, and quickly dressed. She wandered around her home for a while, bored, before picking up a book and heading to Pop’s for an early lunch. She knew her mother would make a disapproving comment about her having Pop’s for lunch again, telling her something about watching her calorie intake, so Betty snuck out without telling her and texted her once she was safely inside a booth to avoid the wrath of a worried Alice.

Betty sat comfortably reading for a bit before ordering a strawberry milkshake. After reading there for nearly an hour she began to wish she had brought her laptop, although it’s not like she would’ve had much to do on it. She wouldn’t have any assignments to work on, as school had let out almost two weeks prior. She sighed and turned her attention back to her copy of Beloved, a book she had already read many times but always found herself wanting to reread.

A little before noon, just after Betty had ordered some fries, is when the trouble began. All of the couples started arriving for lunch. The first to stroll in was Reggie and Josie, arms around each other, whispering and laughing. They sat in the booth right behind Betty’s. She could hear all of their joyous conversation, not matter how hard she tried to focus on her book. Next was Toni and Cheryl, all heart eyes, holding hands. Then Moose and Midge, who sat in booth a few seats in front of Betty where, to her dismay, she had a perfect view of them making out.

The bell on the door dinged again and again, almost always a pair of people she had known all her life, now happily dating. Not one of them acknowledged her. It all made her feel incredibly lonely. All the laughter and smiles and love in the air usually would’ve made her heart swell, but today it made tears prick at her eyes as she realized she would never have this with Jughead. The test must’ve made a mistake, and now she would never have love. The grand romance with Archie she had dreamed of all her life, gone. She knew what she had to do. She swept the book off the table and rushed out the door without waiting for her fries.

She had a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this update. I promise Jughead won't suffer for too much longer. Betty will come around soon enough. There's still a few more chapters of angst to go though.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know everyone already feels sorry for Jughead, but I'm still making him suffer more. The angst really gets started in this chapter. I hope you like it!

At three PM that day Jughead got a call from Betty. He picked up immediately.

“Hey B-“He started.

“Jug, I think the test made a mistake.” She cut him off, her words fast and jumbled.

“What?”

“The test, Jug. The soulmate test. It’s wrong. We’re not soulmates. I’m going to the town hall to officially report that there has been a mistake.” She said it all in one breath and it took Jughead a moment to understand what she had just said.

“Betts, hey. We’ve only been together for like a week!”He argued weakly.

“I know, but I just don’t think we’re soulmates. I’m reporting it Jug. I just think it’s what needs to be done.” She told him with a finality in her voice.

“What…Betts.” He murmured in shock. He felt like she had just shattered him. The last shreds of his hopes incinerated and blown away.

“I’m sorry Jug, it’s for the best.” Just then, the line went dead. She had hung up on him. He stood frozen in place for a moment, unable to do anything else. Then he threw his phone at the couch before pulling his beanie off and chucking at a wall. He fell back into a chair and violently raked his fingers through his unruly black hair.He had no idea what to do now. Everything was crumbling around him. All he had ever wanted was given to him, only to be ripped away days later. Truthfully, it was taken from him seconds after Fred had said his and Betty’s names and he had seen her face. He should’ve known better than to hope at all. He dropped his head to the table in front of him and let out a sob. His skull pressed painfully into the wood as he cried and cried.

 

After letting his thoughts spiral for a full day and a half, Jughead decided he was angry. Angry that Betty Cooper could be so selfish. Reporting that their match was a mistake without even really talking to him? That could ruin his life, leave him familyless forever. After stewing for far too long, Jughead swiped the car keys and drove himself to Betty’s house.

He knocked hard on the door, startling Betty who had been sitting alone on her couch. She went to the door and opened it. Her face a went a little pale when she saw Jughead standing there, eyes full of rage.

“How could you Betty?” His voice sounded a little strangled.

“Jug.” She said softly.

“No,” He cut her off. “How could you? How could try to get us unmatched? How could you do that to me? And you didn’t even bother to have a conversation with me before doing it either. Now our lives could be ruined.” His voice was steadily becoming louder.

“Jug,” She started again, a little louder this time. He ignored her.

“You didn’t even give me a chance, give us a chance. All because of what, some stupid childhood crush on Archie?”

“Jughead!” Betty yelled. “I didn’t do it!” He looked at her, eyes wide with shock.

“You didn’t do it?”

“No, Jug. I didn’t go through with it.”

“Why…why not?” He asked softly.

“Because I realized everything you just said. That it was selfish.That it wasn’t really what needed to be done. I’m sorry. I just…I just freaked out.” She looked at the ground, unable to meet his gaze.

“Oh.” He finally said.

“But Jug,” She started, looking up at him. “I know its kind of a big deal, but why were you so opposed to the idea of us not being together? I mean, we don’t like each other and did you really want to spend the rest of our lives as just best friends? Don’t you want to find love?” She asked. He stared intently at the light blue carpet under his feet, saying nothing. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke.

“I already found it, Betty.” His voice was barely above a whisper. Just then, he found the courage to look at her. It seemed like she didn’t quite understand what he had just said yet. She stood stock still, her eyes becoming wide as the realization dawned on her.

“Oh.” She whispered. “Oh.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. Jughead was incredibly embarrassed. His face was turning redder by the second. He shouldn’t have sprung this on her, he shouldn’t have said anything. He should’ve just kept on lying to her for the rest of their lives. Deep down though, he knew that wasn’t really an option. She was bound to find out sometime, just not now, not like this. Suddenly, the door burst open and in walked an unnecessarily bubbly Alice Cooper, followed by a exhausted Hal holding several full grocery bags. Her face fell a little when she saw him.

“Hello Jughead. What are you doing here?” She asked curtly.

“Oh, I was just leaving.” He muttered, rushing towards the door.

“Wait!” Betty protested softly, reaching out for him. But it was too late, he was already getting into his dad’s old truck.

 

Betty and Jughead didn’t talk again for three days. Betty had been doing a lot of thinking. About Jughead, and about what she was going to do about what she was privately referring to as The Situation. She still hadn’t come to a conclusion about any of it, what she would say, how exactly she felt about him, whether or not she should really try to be something with him, but still she called him. She didn’t call him to have any kind of important conversation, though.

When Jughead heard his phone ring and saw it was from Betty, he felt a glimmer of hope. He had been utterly terrified of what she was going to say to him, which was part of the reason why they hadn’t talked in three days. He had missed her.

“Hey Juggy.” She said once he picked up. His heart fluttered a bit at hearing his nickname again.

“Hi Betts, what’s up?” He tried his best to sound casual and keep his voice even, but he was scared of what she was about to say.

“So, um, I kind of signed us up for a dance competition.” Jughead felt relieved and confused.

“What? Why?” He cried.

“Well, we’re required to sign up for a couple’s activity and everyone has to be signed up by the end of today. I forgot about until this morning and the only spot left was in the dance competition.” She explained. Jughead groaned.

“Betts, you know I can’t dance. I REALLY can’t dance!” He exclaimed.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry! It was the only option. And I can teach you!” Jughead sighed. He knew he didn’t have a choice.

“It’s ok Betty.” He muttered. “I guess I have to.”

“Ok, great. I’ll come by your trailer tomorrow at ten. We have three days. Sorry bye!” Her words were fast and jumbled and she hung up quickly before Jughead could protest further. He knew he was screwed. Not only because he had to dance, which would no doubt end horribly, but because he was sure spending time with Betty wouldbe terribly awkward. Jughead, although he hated even thinking this phrase, knew he just had to suck it up and dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I know a dance competition is kind of random, but just hear me out. It will eventually lead to good things ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dance competition is here! This chapter is a small break from the angst. I hope you enjoy it!

The next day Betty showed up at Jughead’s door at ten AM sharp, just as promised. She was wearing a white T-shirt and black athletic shorts. Jughead was wearing his grey S T-shirt and a pair of old, stiff jeans. Betty eyed him judgingly.

“You can’t dance in those.” She told him, motioning towards his pants.

“Betty, I can’t dance in anything. Just let me wear my jeans.” He pleaded. She sighed.

“Fine. Just come on. We don’t have much time so we can’t mess around.” She said, sounding very no-nonsense as she walked into his living room and pushed the coffee table off to the side.

“Wow, great attitude. I’m sure this’ll be a blast!” He replied sarcastically. Betty rolled her eyes.

“Jug, I’m just trying to make sure we don’t make complete fools of ourselves. We have to do this in front of other people, you know.” Jughead nodded and stopped protesting. Betty stepped over to him and took his hand, guiding him to the middle of the room.

“Ok, so I’m just going to teach you a simple dance. We probably won’t win, but I think you’ll be able to learn it well.” She explained. Jughead nodded again. Betty then took one of his hands and placed it on her waist, then placed hers on his shoulder. Her other hand was still holding on to his, and she extended their arms out to the side. Betty then proceeded to guide Jughead through a series of steps and sways, often getting her foot stepped on and him apologizing profusely. Once they got to what Betty informed him was the end, she began giving him more directions.

“Ok, now you dip me.” She told him. Jughead raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Here.” She said, taking her hand off his shoulder and using it to guide his to her lower back. Then, she took the hand that was holding his and put it on the bare underside of her thigh.

“Now just lift my leg up a little and make sure I don’t fall when I lean back.” He nodded and slowly moved his hand a little lower on her thigh, breath catching. She leaned back suddenly and he pressed his hand more firmly on her back to keep her from falling.

They stayed like that for a little longer than necessary, breathing shallowly and staring into each others eyes, with her leg hitched up on his waist, being held up by his strong arms. Finally Betty snapped out of it and stood back up as he let go of her leg, pressing her hand against his chest momentarily for balance.

“That was great!” Now we just need to come up with a big finish!” She exclaimed. Jughead sighed exasperatedly. Betty thought for a moment before turning to him. “Do you think you can lift me up over your head?” Jughead laughed. She hmmed, trying to hard to come up with something interesting. After a few moments she checked her watch, vaguely wondering how long they had been practicing.

“Shit! It’s almost noon! I’m supposed to meet Kevin for lunch. I’ll see you here tomorrow at the same time. Bye!” Her words were fast and jumbled as she rushed out of the trailer. Jughead smiled after her.

 

The next day was pretty much the same, they ran through the simple dance over and over again, too focused on getting it right to think about the big finish Betty insisted they needed. She stayed over until one PM that day, and by the end they had gone through it three times without Jughead stepping on her foot.

The day after that was the competition, which started at two thirty. Betty was supposed to show up at Jughead’s trailer at ten AM, as usual, so they could practice for a while before they had to go. The moment Betty woke up though, everything started to go wrong.

Betty had accidentally stayed up until three AM and ended up waking up at ten. She texted Jughead a quick apology and then frantically showered. Afterwards she went to go find an outfit to wear for the competition when she realized she had forgotten to get one. She searched her house in a panic for almost and hour before finally calling Cheryl to beg her to let her borrow a dress. Cheryl agreed but Betty had to drive over to Thornhill to get it. Driving there, finding a dress, and then trying it on took another hour.

Finally she was on her way to Jughead’s trailer with about an hour and a half till the competition, when she realized she had forgotten her gift for him. She had to drive back to her house and get it and then drive to Jughead’s. By the time she finally arrived it was a little after one. He opened the door with a smile and barely had time to take in the sight of her in Cheryl’s skin tight red dress before she shoved a white box at him.

“For you.” She breathed, stepping inside. He looked confused, examining the large rectangular box. “Open it!” She exclaimed. He complied, placing it down on the table and carefully lifting off the lid. Inside was a white button up and a pair of plain black pants. He looked at her, eyebrow raised.

“It’s for you to wear today.” She explained.

“Thanks Betts.” He smiled politely and picked up the box, setting off to his room to change. Betty rushed into the bathroom once he disappeared behind the door, going back into panic mode, frantically searching for a hairbrush. She finally found one in the tiny closet and pulled out her messy ponytail, combing out her golden hair and carefully placing it behind her shoulders.

After she was finished she walked back into the living room, the coffee table still off to the side, and Jughead followed moments later. She felt her heart flutter at the sight of him in the new outfit, the top two buttons of his shirt undone. He noticed her staring and smirked.

“You like it?” He asked, spinning around. She stepped towards him.

“Just one more thing.” She reached up and plucked the ever present gray beanie off of his head. Her breath caught in her throat when he ran his fingers through his hair, perfectly tousling the thick black strands.

“Perfect.” She whispered with a weak smile. His smile faded and his eyes darkened as he looked down at her, panning his eyes over the bright red fabric clinging to her skin. He gulped.

“You look amazing.” He told her. She blushed slightly.

“Thanks. Cheryl gave me this dress because I didn’t have anything to wear.” Jughead nodded and they stood in awkward silence for a moment before Betty spoke again. “How about we practice a few more times before we have to leave?” Jughead nodded again and took her hand as they easily fell in sync, stepping along to the dance. They had practiced twice before Jughead checked his watch and realized it was already two.

“We have to go.” He said, picking up his car keys.

“But we don’t have a big finish yet!” She protested.

“We’ll figure something out. Come on, we have to get going.” Betty sighed. She knew he was right. They were out of time.

“Are you sure you can’t lift me up over your head?” She asked with a grin. Jughead shook his head, grinning back.

It didn’t take them very long to get to get to Riverdale High, where the contest was being held. They arrived with ten minutes to spare and walked into the crowded auditorium. She felt her nerves start to consume her as she looked at the mob of people. What if they did horribly? What if one of them forgot the moves? What if both of them forgot the moves? What if everyone was much better than them?

Jughead, sensing her nerves, took her hand and squeezed it gently.

“I promise it’ll be fine Betty. We’ll do great.” He whispered, although he wasn’t really so sure. She nodded, wanting to believe him.

They were soon escorted to seats in the front row and the order in which they would go was announced. They were sixth out of fifteen couples. Betty began to relax once she watched some of the performances. No one was bad, but they weren’t much more skilled than her and Jughead like she had feared. Soon enough it was their turn to go up and Betty’s heart was racing. Jughead assured her again that they would be fine as they walked up to the stage. He was just as scared as she was, maybe more so, but still he wanted to be strong for her.

The dance went off smoothly, neither of them forgetting the steps, perfectly in time with each other. That is, until the end. Jughead gripped Betty’s thigh and she leaned back into his arm as they had practiced, but still neither of them knew what their big finish would be. In a moment of pure instinct, Jughead leaned down and kissed her. Betty whimpered in surprise but found herself kissing him back, their lips gently pressed together.

They parted after a few moments when someone whooped and everyone clapped for them as they bowed and went back to their seats.

Betty couldn’t focus on anything else for the rest of the hour that they were sitting in the auditorium. She felt dazed and confused. The thing that confused her was that she didn’t hate the kiss. She didn’t hate it at all. The way his lips had met hers so tenderly, as if they were made for each other, made her question everything she had previously thought. The thing that startled her most though, was how it had left her wanting more.

 

Betty and Jughead didn’t win the competition. Neither of them were upset about it. They hadn’t expected to win at all. Plus, Betty was still very distracted. Jughead had noticed how distracted she was and it made him panic. He interpreted it as her being mad at him, which he thought she had every right to be. Once they got back into his car he began talking very fast.

“Betty, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. You have every right to be mad and at me and-“

“Mad at you?” She cut him off. “I’m not mad at you, Jug. Not at all. It’s really fine.” Jughead sighed in relief as she smiled at him reassuringly.

They didn’t talk much the rest of the way home. Jughead dropped her off at her house a few minutes later with a quick goodbye.

When Betty got inside she immediately changed out of the dress and into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She decided that she should try to return the dress now. It was mostly because she really needed to talk to someone about all of this, and Cheryl seemed like the best candidate at the moment. She wasn’t always great with feelings, but being with Toni had made her warmer. Besides, Cheryl and Toni were her only girl friends, so she really didn’t have many options.

Betty stepped outside, dress in hand, and realized that she had left both her car and car keys at Jughead’s trailer. She groaned, realizing she was going to have to walk to Sunnyside Trailer Park to retrieve them. She knew she didn’t have a choice, so she tightened her ponytail and set off.

 

Betty arrived at Jughead’s trailer in fifteen minutes, a little sweaty from the mid June heat. She knocked on the door and he opened it, looking very surprised to see her.

“Hey Betts, what’re you doing here?” He asked.

“I kinda left my car and car keys here.” She replied with an awkward laugh.

“Ah, yes. They’re on the kitchen table.” With that he walked off into the trailer and returned a moment later, keys in hand.

“Thank you!”She exclaimed, snatching them from him.

“No problem. Want me to walk you to your car?” He offered. She nodded.

Just as they were approaching the car, Betty was about to say goodbye when she tripped over one of the stones used to mark parking spots. Jughead rushed over and quickly caught her by the waist. They stood there longer than necessary, his hand on her waist, one of her hands gripping a fistful of his shirt that she reflexively grabbed for balance. She looked into his ocean blue eyes and, without a second thought, leaned in to press her lips to his. This time the kiss was different, more hungry and urgent. Betty kept ahold of his shirt as he turned to press her against the side of the car, kissing her hard. They kissed until they were both gasping for air and Betty finally let go of his T-shirt.

“Goodbye.” She whispered, slipping out from under him and into the driver’s seat of the car. This time it was Jughead who was left standing there, dazed, watching as the miraculous Betty Cooper drove off into the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! All comments and kudos are appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's even more angst that no one asked for! Sorry not sorry. The chapter in which Jughead suffers more and Betty has a small mental breakdown.

Jughead stood in the searing June heat in the middle of Sunnyside Trailer Park, his heart beating a mile a minute. He had just kissed Betty Cooper for the second time that day. And better yet, she had kissed him. He was quickly snapped out of his giddy state by clapping and cheering behind him. He knew instantly who it was. He turned around, his face ablaze with embarrassment, to face his sister Jellybean, who was currently standing on the front steps of the trailer.

“Jellybean!” He hissed. “How long have you been standing there?” She grinned.

“Basically the whole time.” Jughead groaned and she laughed.

“I can’t fucking believe you.” He mumbled, running a hand through his hair harshly. Jellybean just laughed again and turned to go back inside.

“I can’t wait to tell everyone!” She sang as she stepped through door. He groaned again, louder this time.

“You’re the worst!” He yelled after her. Truthfully, he was too distracted to be that annoyed at her. All he could think about was Betty, as per usual these days. Did she like him back? It all felt so juvenile to Jughead, who likes who. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. This was a thought that echoed through his head often. Because nothing was how it was how it was supposed to be. He had known he and Betty were soulmates for most of his life, and now the test had proved it! But she still didn’t see it, a fact that broke his heart. Today, though, had given him hope. Maybe, just maybe, she was beginning to realize the test hadn’t made a mistake and they truly were soulmates.

 

Betty Cooper sat in her car in front of her house, cursing herself. She shouldn’t have kissed Jughead. She really shouldn’t have kissed him. In that moment it had just been pure instinct, a moment of want and lost control. Now she was terribly confused and it was overwhelming. She wanted so badly to cling on to her old life, her life before the day of the Soulmate Ceremony, before every plan for her future crumbled before her eyes. Because they all revolved around Archie. _Archie_. Without thinking, she rushed out of the car and took a left down the sidewalk leading up to the Andrew’s front porch. She ran up the stairs and knocked hard on the door.Archie opened it and she barged in, tightening her ponytail and trying to maintain some semblance of control.

“Hi Betts.” Archie said as she whipped past him, turning around to face her. “What’re you doing here?” Betty didn’t know exactly what she was doing. She started to speak before she knew what she was saying.

“I like you, Archie.” The words came tumbling out of her mouth and she half wished she could put them back in. Archie’s eyes widened and he looked so shocked Betty wouldn’t have been surprised if he had fallen over.

“Wha…me? But you..Jug. I thought you guys were happy!” He finally managed to say.

“We’re not! The test was wrong! You and me, we’re supposed to be together.” She stepped forward and reached out to him, beginning to realize how desperate and crazed she sounded. Archie stepped back.

“Betts, no. The test isn’t wrong. The test can’t be wrong. Me and Veronica are happy. You and Jughead like each other. You don’t like me.”He tried to tell her. She shook her head.

“No no no, yes I do. I like you. That’s how it is. That’s how it’s always been. It’s supposed to be you and me.” She argued, waving her hands frantically as she talked.

“Alway? Betty, what are you saying. You need to calm down. I don’t think you’re thinking straight.” Betty shook her head some more and stumbled backwards into a chair, her breathing a little heavy.

“Everything is falling apart. Everything is falling apart.” She whispered over and over again as tears began spilling from her eyes. Archie had no idea what to do or how to comfort her. Luckily for him, he didn’t have to. Moments later she stood up and bolted out of the house and to her own, sobbing. She ended up slumped against a wall in the corner of her bedroom, frozen, her nails dug firmly into her palms.

 

About an hour and a half after Betty left his trailer, Jughead got a call. His heart jumped, hoping it was her. I t urned out to be Archie and he sighed softly in disappointment.

“Hey Arch, what’s up?” He asked with as much cheerfulness as he could muster, which was more than usual thanks to the day he had.

“Uh, Jug. I need to tell you something.” He replied softly. Jughead’s stomach dropped at his tone. Archie only talked quietly like this when he had something hard to say. Jughead cleared his throat and tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever he was about to say.

“What?” He asked anxiously. Archie cleared his throat and coughed, seemingly stalling a bit.

“Betty…Betty came over and told me she liked me.” Archie’s voice was barely above a whisper. Jughead’s mouth fell open and he felt a deep, numbing hurt start to seep into him that made him nauseous.

“Wh…What?” He managed to choke out.

“She just ran over and told me she liked me and then left crying like fifteen minutes ago.” He replied.

“What did you say to her?” His voice raised involuntarily when he asked this.

“Barely anything!” He exclaimed defensively.

“I have to go.” Jughead said, and then abruptly hung up the phone. He didn’t think he could talk to anyone at the moment. He thought he should probably check on Betty, but his legs wouldn’t move. Because not only was he deeply hurt, he was also angry. He was angry at her and his petty anger refused to let him go see her. He, quite frankly, deserved to be angry. After all she had done to him, he should be mad at her. She had stomped on his heart. She had kissed him and then just minutes later told Archie she liked him. He should be fucking furious, but he didn’t think he could ever find it in him to be furious at Betty Cooper. So he just sat on his old, saggy, dirty couch and let his feelings eat him alive from the inside out.

 

Betty and Jughead didn’t talk again for over a week. The only thing she had heard from him since kissing him was a text message he had sent her in a moment of uncontrolled anger one day after she had gone to Archie’s.

Jughead: How could you?

That was all it said. And now she was terrified of talking to him. She could only assume that meant Archie had told him about what she had decided to refer to as The Incident. She couldn’t face what she had done, couldn’t even think about it. She had hurt him, she knew it, and she was being torn apart by the guilt.

Jughead hadn’t contacted her because he had decided he wasn’t going to be the bigger person again. He was being torn apart by anger and hurt and most of all the fact that his love for Betty just wouldn’t die, and it only got worse every day she didn’t call or text. He needed her to come fix this, because it was all her fault. She had made a mess and he was going to wait for her to come clean it up. Come put him back together with meaningless sorries and empty promises. He had considered going to see her several time but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, because he knew it wasn’t going to end well. His emotions were still strong as ever and he knew he was going to end up yelling at her whether he wanted to or not.

On their eight day apart, Jughead heard a knock at the trailer door. He opened the door and wasn’t surprised by the unusually solemn looking blonde girl looking back at him. He refrained himself from saying “it’s about time.”

“Hi,” She said. “Can I come in?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this angst filled chapter! I promise the angst will end in the next chapter.  
> All comments and kudos are appreciated! x


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally giving the people what they want in this chapter, i.e. happy Jug. I hope you like it! x

“What do you want, Betty?” Jughead asked, already sounding annoyed. Betty was slightly hurt by his tone. Truthfully, she had kind of expected him to be happy to see her, but she knew that wasn’t fair. He had every right to be angry with her. She cleared her throat and looked up at him, trying to regain the confidence she’d had when she knocked on the door.

“I um…I came to apologize. I’m sorry, Jughead.” Jughead had been waiting to hear those words all week, but when he finally heard them, it made him angry. She’d caused him so much hurt, and all she had to make up for it was sorry? It didn’t feel like the words held any meaning.

“Sorry isn’t good enough, Betts.” He said simply. He began to close the door but she quickly put up her hands to stop it.

“Wait, no! Don’t close the door. I just don’t know what you want me to say.” She cried exasperatedly.

“I don’t really know what I want you to say either.” He sighed. When Betty stayed silent, he began to speak again.

“Betty, do you have any idea what you’ve put me through? Do you have any idea how it felt when Archie called me and told me that you had just gone to his house and said you wanted to be with him? Do you have any idea how it feels to always feel inferior? Do you have any idea how it feels to have your deepest insecurities confirmed by the person you care most about in the world?” His voice was starting to sound strangled and he hated it. Betty’s mouth fell open.

“I don’t…I’m sorry Jughead.” She said softly. He ran his fingers through his hair harshly.

“Sorry isn’t fucking good enough, Betty!” He yelled. For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Betty didn’t know what to do. She needed to do something. Something that was better than sorry. Something that showed she actually cared. Stepping forward, she did the first thing that popped into her head. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Jughead pulled away, still seething with rage.

“No. Betty, you can’t do that! You can’t just kiss me! You can’t play with my feelings whenever you feel like it. You can’t just give me some meaningless kiss and expect me to forgive you!” Betty felt tears prick at her eyes as he screamed at her again.

“Meaningless? Playing with your feelings? Jug, I like you.” She assured him, stepping towards him again. He scoffed and stepped back.

“You know what Jug, fine. If you’re going to be an asshole, I’m going to leave.” She said, turning to the door.

“Alright, fine! Just go and don’t talk to me for a week again. You’re just proving my point. You don’t actually give a shit about me!” He called after her. She stormed out the door, his words cutting into her like a knife. How could he think she didn’t care about him?

Once Betty was halfway down the trailer steps, Jughead started towards the door to close it. Just then, she appeared in the doorway again, an unreadable expression on her face. Jughead barely had time to register what was going on when she lunged at him and pressed her lips hard against his. She snaked her hand up so it was in his hair and, with the other hand on his chest, walked them back until they were pressed up against the wall opposite the door. Jughead didn’t pull away this time, he couldn’t bring himself too. The delicious pressure of her lips against his was just too good. So he let her kiss him, his anger slowly fading away as his lips molded against hers.

“I. Do. Care. About. You. Juggie.” Betty said, punctuating each word with a kiss. At that, Jughead moved his hands from her back down to the backs of her thighs, picking her up. She moved her arms up to around his neck, neither of them breaking the kiss as he walked them to the couch. He pulled away for a moment to lay her down gently before climbing on top of her and reconnecting their lips. Slowly her hand slid up under his T-shirt and he pulled away to stop her.

“Wait, Betts. We have to talk.” He said through pants. Betty nodded and moved her hands away from their places in his hair and on his chest.

“Ya, ok.” She breathed. Jughead climbed off of her and she sat up. He sat down next to her, mere inches away, and Betty wanted so badly to close the gap and kiss him again. But she knew he was right, they needed to have a conversation first. She couldn’t just keep kissing him and expecting him to understand everything she was feeling.

“So, what exactly is going on?” He asked after a few moments of silence. It was a pretty vague question and Betty didn’t know quite how to answer it. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally speaking.

“I don’t actually like Archie. I don’t think that I ever really did.” Jughead cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at her in surprise, but stayed silent, waiting for her to go on.

“It’s just that, me and Archie made sense. Best friends, living next door to each other, it just seemed only logical that we would be soulmates. I was supposed to like him. And then you kissed me, and I liked it, and everything stopped making sense. It freaked me out and I panicked and that’s why I told Archie I liked him. I don’t even think it was true, it was just a last ditch attempt at making everything make sense again.” She paused and Jughead began nodding, encouraging her to go on. She looked down for a moment before meeting his eyes again.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I think that you and I more than make sense. I think I actually like you. I think it’s been you all along.” She finished, smiling at him. He couldn’t help but grin back at her before leaning in to kiss her passionately, lowering her down onto the couch again. She sighed contentedly, wrapping her arms around him and deepening the kiss.

And for the first time in a long time, everything made sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was so short. I hope you enjoyed it! All comments and kudos are appreciated x


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this chapter will be full of fluff. I hope you enjoy the finally happy bughead x

In the weeks that followed that day in the trailer, it became clearer and clearer to Betty why she and Jughead were soulmates. Especially one night, three weeks later, when she dragged him along to Reggie’s party.

A party at Reggie Mantles house was basically the last place Jughead would ever want to be, but Betty had begged him to come with her and he couldn’t say no to her. They arrived around nine and the party was already in full swing. Jughead was almost knocked down by a drunk Moose the moment he stepped inside. He was immediately miserable. He reached for Betty’s hand, but she had already disappeared. He walked around the house for a few minutes looking for her before she reappeared holding two beers.

“Here. Loosen up!” She said, shoving one towards him. He took it cautiously in one hand and took her hand in the other so he wouldn’t lose her again.

A little while later Betty had finished her beer and was already a little tipsy. She tried to drag Jughead onto the dance floor but he pulled away and she was swallowed up by the crowd. He couldn’t find her for a full, terrible hour until she was finally deposited to him by Cheryl and Toni, who were struggling to hold her up. He grabbed her by the waist to steady her and Cheryl and Toni left them alone.

“How many drinks have you had?” Jughead asked her, brows furrowed in concern.

“Three.” Betty replied with a hiccup. He shook his head. He knew she was a lightweight. He shouldn’t’ve left her and he shouldn’t’ve let her get this drunk. They should’ve never came.

“Lets go.” He said, slipping his hand in hers and starting towards the door. Just as he was about to reach for the doorknob, Chuck Clayton cut him off.

“You’re leaving already? The party’s just getting started!” He exclaimed. Jughead rolled his eyes.

“Chuck, get out of my way.” He said, trying to keep his tone even. He didn’t havethe patience for an asshole like Chuck at the moment.

“Oh come on, don’t be such a dick. Have some fun!” He cried. Jughead took a deep breath.

“Chuck, I’m not gonna say it again. Get. Out. Of. My. Way.” He snarled, pushing past him and out the door. Betty stumbled and almost fell just as they approached the stairs. Jughead caught her just in time and hoisted her up in his arms. Betty gasped softly and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her down the stairs and to his car. He dropped her carefully into the passengers seat and buckled her seatbelt for her. Just as he was about to close the door, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to her, kissing him soundly on the lips. She smiled, closed her eyes, and let her head drop to the window once he pulled away. He smiled back at her and climbed into the drivers seat to drive her back home.

They arrived back at the Cooper household in a few minutes and Jughead had to wake Betty up, as she had already fallen asleep. He shook her gently and she jumped as her eyes popped open. She turned to look out the window and see where they were, and her eyes widened instantly.

“Oh no, Jug. I can’t go home. My mom will kill me if she sees me like this!” She exclaimed, already looking panicked. Jughead placed an arm on her shoulder to comfort her.

“Hey, hey. It’s fine. We can go back to my house. Alright?” She nodded and took a deep breath, closing her eyes again.

Once they got to Jughead’s trailer, Jughead jumped out of the car and went to go get Betty, who he picked up once again and carried up the steps.

“You have to be quiet, my parents are home. They can’t know you’re here.” He whispered as he struggled open the door. He finally pushed it open and stepped inside, only for his eyes to widen in horror at what he saw. His father, sitting on the couch, staring right at him and the obviously drunk Betty in his arms.

“Dad! Hi! We were, um…We’re not…Uh…”He stammered, trying to think of something to say as Betty hid her face in his neck.

“It’s ok, son. I’m not mad. As long you two are home safe. You didn’t drive drunk, did you?” He asked.

“No, no. I’m not drunk dad, I swear.” FP nodded. “I, um…Can Betty stay over?” He asked meekly. FP paused for a moment, considering it.

“Ok, but you guys better not do anything other than sleep.” Jughead blushed furiously and looked at Betty, who was still hiding in the crook of his neck.

“We won’t dad, I promise.” He assured him, trying to leave as quickly as possible. He turned around and headed for his bedroom, where he set Betty down on his twin bed. Just then he noticed the tears pricking at her eyes.

“Betty, what’s wrong?” He asked, crouching down at the side of the bed and brushing a lock of hair away from her face.

“I’m so embarrassed. I can’t believe I got drunk and I can’t believe your dad saw me like this. Now you’re probably mad at me and he probably thinks I’m trashy.” She sobbed. Jughead’s brows furrowed in concern and he placed a gentle hand on her cheek.

“Hey, Betts, I’m not mad at you at all. And I promise you, my dad doesn’t think any less of you. My parents love you, and trust me, he’s had his fair share of drunken nights.” He said, sighing sadly. She nodded, deciding to believe him.

“Can I borrow a T-shirt to sleep in?” She asked after a few moments.

“Of course!” Jughead replied, turning around and grabbing one of his grey S T-shirts from his dresser. He handed it to her and she thanked him, reaching back to unzip her dress. He blushed slightly and turned around.

“Jug, can you help me?” She asked. He turned around and saw her sitting on the bed, back to him, the zipper on her dress nearly halfway down, low enough to expose her lacy pink bra. He nodded, although she couldn’t see him and stepped cautiously towards her. He gently moved her hair to the side and slowly unzipped the dress, leaving pooled at her waist. She didn’t move, so he took that as a sign to keep going. He pulled the dress down off her legs and unhooked her bra before slipping the T-shirt over her head. She turned around to face him and looped her arms lazily around his neck, puling him down to gently kiss him. Once she released him he took a step back and visibly gulped at the sight of her in only his shirt and her underwear. Betty didn’t seem to notice as her eyelids began fluttering closed and she slid to one side of the bed, patting the spot next to her.

“Come on.” She yawned. Jughead complied, kicking off his shoes and pulling off his jeans before climbing in bed next to her. He turned to face her and smiled, brushing another runaway golden strand of hair out of her eyes. She smiled back and snuggled in closer to him, settling her head on his chest. He placed an arm around her waist and closed his eyes.

“I love you.” Betty mumbled, her hand settling gently on his stomach. Jughead’s eyes popped open, not quite believing what he was hearing.

“What?” He whispered, but there was no response. She was already fast asleep.

 

Jughead couldn’t stop thinking about that night for days afterwards. He couldn’t stopped wondering if Betty meant what she had said. Did she really love him? He loved her, there was no doubt in his mind. He wanted so badly for it to be true, but he couldn’t be sure. She had said it when she was drunk and half asleep, so Jughead had convinced and unconvinced himself many times that she didn’t really mean it. She probably didn’t even remember it. But the not sure part is what kept Jughead up at night until he finally worked up the nerve to ask her about it.

They were sitting on the window seat in Betty’s bedroom one afternoon. She was laying down reading with her feet in his lap as he typed away at his laptop when he closed it abruptly, startling her. She jumped slightly and looked up at him over her book, eyebrow raised. He looked down at the silver metal on his lap, contemplating opening it again and hiding from the conversation he had just been about to start. He cleared his throat and turned slightly to face her, forcing himself to continue.

“The other night…The other night after Reggie’s party, when you were drunk,” Her face reddened slightly. After another bout of an embarrassment and profuse apology the morning after, she hadn’t wanted to talk about that night again. “You, uh, you said you loved me.” He finished, looking nervously at his lap again. He looked up briefly to see Betty’s reaction. Her face had gone from a light pink blush to deep scarlet and her eyes were wide. She looked down at her lap as well, trying to hide the redness of her cheeks, neither of them looking at each other as she spoke.

“I, um…I don’t remember that.” She mumbled. Jughead felt his heart sink.

“Oh.” He said softly.

“But I do.” She added. He finally looked up at her and found her staring intently at him.

“What?” He whispered.

“I do. Love you.” She said earnestly, nervously awaiting his reaction. She was relieved when a smile began spreading on his face. She let out a whimper in surprise when he lunged forward and pressed a hungry kiss to her lips, pinning her to the small strip of wall that jutted out from the window.

“I love you too.” He breathed once they parted. Betty grinned and pulled him to her again, moving her hands to encircle his neck. He moved his legs to bracket her hips and began to kiss down her neck. As his hand began sliding under the hem of her T-shirt, the door swung open. Betty released Jughead quickly and he jumped back as Alice Cooper marched in. She paused in shock, obviously not expecting what she had walked in on.

“Jughead, I think it’s time for you to go.” She told him flatly once she had recovered from her initial surprise, pointing an angry finger at Betty’s bedroom door. He blushed and stood up, reaching for the laptop he had accidentally sat on after she startled him, and scampered out of the room like a frightened puppy. Betty glared at her mother as Jughead ran down the stairs.

Although thoroughly embarrassed, as evident from the color of his face, he couldn’t keep the silly grin off his face as he rushed out of the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! All comments and kudos are appreciated! x


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the final chapter! I hope you enjoy it x

Betty and Jughead spent the rest of the summer enjoying the kind of bliss only brought by young love. They spent every one of the too-warm days together, doing nothing at all and enjoying every second of it. They went on double dates with Archie and Veronica at Pop’s, who Betty had soon become close friends with after the realization she didn’t love Archie. They spent days at the Bijou, hopping from theater to theater, watching every movie that was playing. They didn’t really care what they were doing, as long as they were doing it together.

For once in his life, Jughead felt like he deserved to be happy. Betty made him feel worthy of all the love and happiness she brought him. Their love was unconditional and weathered any storms that befell them, although they hadn’t run into any obstacles too large since the turmoil filled start of their relationship. They truly were each other’s other half. They were soulmates.

 

One night in late august, when the air was slightly humid with a perfect breeze, Jughead arrived at the Cooper’s to take Betty to the Bijou. He was right on time, as always. He knocked twice on the bright red door and no one answered. He waited a few seconds and knocked again, but still nothing. He was slightly worried, as Betty hadn’t answered his texts for the past hour, but he hadn’t thought much of it until now. He knocked once more and this time the door was flung open by an angry looking Alice Cooper, startling him.

“What do you want?” She snapped, seemingly forgetting her usual polite demeanor. He blinked a few times, suddenly very frightened. He felt like a deer in headlights, unsure of what to do. Alice Cooper could scare him like no one else.

“I, uh, came to pick up Betty.” He finally replied.

“She’s not here.” Alice said simply, shutting the door in his face. He stood there, mouth agape, for a moment before turning around and bounding down the stairs. He got back in his car and sat there, confused. Where was Betty, and why wasn’t she answering his texts? He decided to call her. He dialed her number and was relieved when she picked up on the first ring.

“Hi, Betts. Where are you?” He asked.

“I’m in the treehouse.” She responded, her voice strangled and full of tears.

“What? Archie’s treehouse? What happened?” He asked, the worry in his voice steadily growing.

“Ya. Can you come? I don’t really want to talk about it over the phone.” She sniffled.

“Of course, I’ll be right there.” He replied, hanging up and rushing over to Archie’s house. He ran up the front steps and knocked hard on the door. Archie opened up quickly and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Hi Jug, what’re you doing here?” He asked, confused.

“Um…Betty’s in your treehouse.”

“What? Why?”  
“It’s a long story. I just need to get there. Can I come in?” Archie nodded.

“Ya, of course.” He said, stepping back to let Jughead inside. He rushed through the house to the back door and ran outside. He could see a faint glow in the window of the treehouse and quickly climbed the ladder. As he reached the top, he peered inside and saw Betty sitting in the corner, knees pulled up to her chest. He scrambled inside and rushed over to her.

“Betts, what’s wrong?” He asked, coming in close to her and placing a hand on her arm. She looked up at him and he could see the tears staining her cheeks. She sniffled and let out a small sob, leaning into him. He wrapped both arms around her and held her as she cried, waiting patiently for her to calm down a bit so she could tell him what happened. Soon her breathing was steadying and she sniffled, pulling away slightly.

“It’s my mom. Her and my dad had a huge, explosive fight and he stormed out in the middle of it. I came in to see what happened and she took everything out on me. She yelled until I ran out crying and I didn’t know where to go so I just came here.” She explained.

“Oh, Betty, I’m so sorry.” He whispered, pulling her back in and stroking her hair. Suddenly he took her hand and stood up. “Come with me.”

“What? Where are we going?” She asked.

“Just trust me.” She didn’t hesitate before nodding and following him down the ladder and to the car. Betty rested her head against the window and looked out at the trees blending together as they sped past, not questioning where he was taking her. Finally they pulled up to a patch of grass next to the bank of Sweetwater River. He got out of the car and took her hand again, helping her up onto the roof of the car. Betty looked up. The stars in the sky twinkled like nothing she had never seen. She had never been to Sweetwater at night and it was beautiful. It was quiet and still and exactly what she needed in that moment. She turned to Jughead, who had climbed up next to her.

“Thank you.” She whispered. He looked at her and smiled slightly.

“It’s really nothing.” She shook her head.

“No, it’s not nothing. It’s everything.” He stared down at his lap, blushing. Betty place a gentle hand on his face to get him to look at her.

“I think you’re perfect, you know that?” She told him earnestly. He laughed.

“I’m the farthest thing from perfect, Betty.” Jughead assured her.

“That’s not true, you’re perfect to me.” She smiled and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips.

“I think I’m the luckiest person in the entire world that I get to spend every day with you.” He whispered against her lips. She kissed him again and rested her head on his shoulder.

“This is so peaceful.” She mumbled, moving to lay her head in his lap. “I think I could fall asleep here.” Jughead gently stroked her silky hair and soon enough, she did. Jughead smiled at her and moved to lay down next to her, wrapping his arms around her torso. In no time, both of them were fast asleep on the cold metal roof of the car, holding each other, at peace with the fact that no matter what happened, they would always have each other.

Betty woke up the next morning with horrible ache in her neck and six missed calls from her mother, but she didn’t care, because she woke up next to Jughead, and she knew she would get to wake up next to him for the rest of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this final chapter! All comments and kudos are appreciated x

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! All comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated. x


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